Punjab: Majithia's close aide Sabi joins Congress
Three leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal, including Sarbjot Singh Sabi, considered a close confidante of Bikram Singh Majithia, joined Congress on Monday.
The other two leaders are Rajinder Deepa from Sunam and Anil Thakur from Mukerian.
They were inducted into the party fold by the Congress general secretary and in-charge Punjab affairs Bhupesh Bhagel in the presence of the state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa and other senior party leaders.
Sabi, 47, had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 assembly election from Mukerian constituency and bagged nearly 30,000 votes.
Sabi had joined Akali Dal at a young age and was appointed circle president of SAD when he was barely 22. He went on to become Hoshiarpur district president and Doaba zonal president. He also remained chairman of Hoshiarpur zila parishad.
The move has come as a big jolt to SAD, which is struggling to resurrect itself after suffering setbacks on political and panthic fronts.
Sources close to Sabi said Majithia was in the know of his decision.
Along with Majithia, Sabi had openly opposed the unceremonious removal of Giani Raghbir Singh as Akal Takht jathedar, which had irked SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Talking to HT, Sabi said that SAD leadership itself was responsible for the party's downfall and it has lost the trust of the Sikh community.
'I had urged Sukhbir long back to seek forgiveness from the community for the wrongs but he did not pay any heed. Even today he has not mended his ways,' Sabi said, alleging that the SAD leaders were now trying to cosy up with the BJP, a party they abused all these years.
'It is difficult to work with such two-faced people', he said.
Sabi said that the Congress still worked within a system and its biggest asset was its secular credentials. Asked if he would seek Congress' ticket for the next assembly polls, he said it was for the party to decide.
'My job is to work and I will put in my best efforts', he added.
Bhagel said it's a sign that Congress is making a comeback in Punjab.
'Coming events cast their shadow,' he remarked while suggesting that senior leaders from other political parties were looking forward to joining the Congress.
'This is just the beginning as the winds of change have started blowing in Punjab', Warring said, adding that people of the state were fed up with the current AAP regime.
Bajwa said that the three leaders would further strengthen the Congress in Punjab.
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